Yorùbá , unknown maker's mark. <em>Woman's wrapper (àdìrẹ ẹlé̩kọ)</em>, 20th century. Commercial cotton cloth, synthetic indigo dye, 68 5/8 × 78 × 1/16 in. (174.3 × 198.1 × 0.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by Frieda and Milton F. Rosenthal, 1990.132.8 (Photo: , 1990.132.8_PS11.jpg)

Yorùbá , unknown maker's mark. Woman's wrapper (àdìrẹ ẹlé̩kọ), 20th century. Commercial cotton cloth, synthetic indigo dye, 68 5/8 × 78 × 1/16 in. (174.3 × 198.1 × 0.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by Frieda and Milton F. Rosenthal, 1990.132.8 (Photo: , 1990.132.8_PS11.jpg)

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Woman's wrapper (àdìrẹ ẹlé̩kọ)

Arts of Africa

Àdìrẹ is a Yorùbá textile whose patterns are made through resist dyeing. The àdìrẹ technique used to make this wrapper is àdìrẹ ẹlé̩kọ, wherein female artists paint cassava flour paste on fabric, preventing certain areas from soaking in blue indigo dye. This cloth’s name is Olókun, identifiable in part by the motif of a circular “stool” surrounded by “leaves.” As goddess of the sea, Olókun’s domain is the source of wealth, lending the cloth the associated meaning “life is sweet.” Other àdìrẹ employ tie-and-dye techniques (àdìrẹ oníko), where raffia ties hold small stones or seeds in place to cover areas of the fabric during dyeing, resulting in àdìrẹ eléso patterns. One such àdìrẹ oníko was incorporated underneath a panel in the featured egúngún (see photograph).

CULTURE Yorùbá, unknown maker's mark

MEDIUM Commercial cotton cloth, synthetic indigo dye

Place Made: Abẹ́òkúta, Nigeria

DATES 20th century

DIMENSIONS 68 5/8 × 78 × 1/16 in. (174.3 × 198.1 × 0.1 cm) mount (when installed): 68 5/8 × 79 1/2 × 3 in. (174.3 × 201.9 × 7.6 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of Africa

ACCESSION NUMBER 1990.132.8

CREDIT LINE Purchased with funds given by Frieda and Milton F. Rosenthal

PROVENANCE Prior to 1990, provenance not yet documented, probably from Abeokuta, Nigeria; by July 1990, acquired by Mrs. Abiola of Ibadan, Nigeria; July 17, 1990, purchased from Mrs. Abiola by Elisha Renne for the Brooklyn Museum.

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CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Resist, indigo-dyed commerical cotton cloth. Free hand starch painting of patterns which fill geometric grid. Motifs include birds, leaves, and spinning tops. Commercial cotton joined by machine stitching, hemmed.

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MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Yorùbá , unknown maker's mark. Woman's wrapper (àdìrẹ ẹlé̩kọ), 20th century. Commercial cotton cloth, synthetic indigo dye, 68 5/8 × 78 × 1/16 in. (174.3 × 198.1 × 0.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by Frieda and Milton F. Rosenthal, 1990.132.8 (Photo: , 1990.132.8_PS11.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 1990.132.8_PS11.jpg., 2018

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Woman's wrapper (àdìrẹ ẹlé̩kọ)

Arts of Africa

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